Screenshot of the Chinese Embassy in Canada's official WeChat account

In response to the Canadian government's order for Hikvision Canada Ltd to cease operations in Canada over "national security,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said on Saturday that the move has severely harmed the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and disrupted normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Canada, and China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this. The Chinese government has consistently encouraged Chinese enterprises to engage in overseas investment and cooperation in accordance with market principles, international rules, and local laws. “We firmly oppose any erroneous practice of overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to discriminate against and suppress Chinese enterprises,” the spokesperson said.

China urges the Canadian side to immediately change its course, stop politicizing and over-securitizing economic and trade issues, cease its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises, provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for the normal operation of Chinese enterprises, and do more to promote the healthy and stable development of economic and trade cooperation between China and Canada. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, the spokesperson said.